Day 1
Unpacking and getting ready.
First rattlesnake sighting, right on the trail. It won't be our last.
A scenic view from Miller Creek trail, looking back towards the East.
Jani and Jason hiking up the Miller Creek trail.
Rest break on the trail.
Jason, after making it to the campsite.
Breaking camp on Day 1.
Colin and Catherine going up on the Rincon Peak trail.
Colin at the top of Rincon Peak. It was a 8-mile hike, with a 4000-ft elevation gain, to get there from our starting point. And we still had another 3.5 miles to go back to camp.
Me at the summit.
Colin enjoying the view.
Colin, Catherine, and Dave at the summit.
A special meal at the summit: crab meat and caviar on crackers.
Jani about to try the caviar.
A view from the summit.
Dave setting up the campstove.
Delphine by the bearbox. It's a good thing we stashed all our smelly stuff into it, because we did have a nocturnal visitor that night.
Jason preparing his dehydrated meal, which turned out to have a rather disgusting taste.
Day 2
Early morning on the Heartbreak Ridge trail, heading north to Manning Camp.
Rincon Peak from the Heartbreak Ridge trail.
A glimpse of civilization (Vail, I think) far below.
A cactus in bloom.
My attempt to be artistic.
Rincon Peak, from farther up Heartbreak Ridge.
Looking forward to Mica Mountain.
We were promised "guaranteed water" at Manning Camp by the National Park Service. When Dave and I got there, we discovered that there was no water in the spigot. At first, the only water we could find was in the horse trough, which happened to have a decomposing squirrel floating around in it. We were really hoping we wouldn't have to drink it.
The good news was that we found another water source, in the form of a nearby "pond." The bad news was that the improvement was rather marginal.
Finally we found a deep pond with flowing water. Dave is working the filter pump.
Dave on a trail not too far from our Day 2 campsite.
One of many very large rocks in the area.
Catherine on a rope swing.
Catherine filtering more drinking water.
A marker for the now-gone fire tower near the summit of Mica Mountain.
A USGS marker at the summit of Mica Mountain.
Ann and Jason at Spud Rock, near the summit of Mica Mountain.
A view from Spud Rock.
Jason and Colin on Spud Rock.
Another view from Spud Rock.
Ann taking a photo of a blooming cactus.
We witnessed a beautiful sunset as we headed back to our campsite from the summit of Mica Mountain.
I went to do some laundry at the pond shortly after sunset and was greeted by many flying bats.
Day 2 campsite.
Day 3
Same campsite at the beginning of Day 3.
Delphine doing some rock climbing to get to a beautiful overlook.
This is probably my favorite picture. It really captures the spirit of the hike.
Catherine taking pictures at the overlook.
Dave, with the city far below.
A long walk down the Cow Head Saddle trail.
Colin resting at the junction of Cow Head Saddle, Douglas Spring, and Tanque Verde Ridge trails.
Catherine reading a Heinlein novel during a lunch break at the trail junction.
Jani consulting a map, apparently tempted by the possibility of hiking the more scenic Tanque Verde Ridge trail.
My plans to solo hike the Tanque Verde Ridge trail all the way to Tucson were rudely interrupted by this sign.
Looking back at Mica Mountain from the Tanque Verde Ridge trail.
Rincon Peak, which we visited two days ago, in the distance.
View from the Tanque Verde Ridge towards Vail.
Tanque Verde Ridge, with Tanque Verde Peak in the background.
Three "summits" lined up.
Approaching the top of Tanque Verde Peak.
Sheer cliffs near the summit of Tanque Verde Peak.
A helpful sign.
A register near the summit. Apparently I was the first visitor in almost two weeks.
A view from the summit of Tanque Verde Peak. This area reminded me of the Chiricahua Mountains.
Rincon Peak in the distance.
A panoramic movie clip shot at the summit, complete with the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Peter Jackson better watch out! :)
Me at the summit of Tanque Verde Peak.
Another view of the summit.
Getting to the summit involved a bit of rock climbing. This was the easiest way up (and down).
On my way down to the campsite, I noticed a very active, slithering rattlesnake in this dry wash. You can see it in this picture if you look hard enough.
Some close-ups of the rattlesnake.
One of several popped balloons we noticed on this hike. Apparently they were let go in the city and ended up high in the mountains.
Beautifully lit scenery close to the sunset on my way down to Douglas Spring campground.
When I got to the campground, I found the campers in a state of agitation over a close encounter with a rattlesnake. Here, Jason is pointing to where the incident occurred.
Dave, Delphine, and Catherine at our Day 3 campsite.
Emergency measures, such as stuffing 3 people into a 1-person tent were considered to avoid cuddling with rattlesnakes at night.
Day 4
Getting a very early start on Day 4 to avoid hiking in high desert heat.
First rays of the rising sun hit the mountain slopes.
Good morning, Tucson! A still-sleeping city down below.
Hiking down the last few miles through an increasingly desert-like landscape.
Colin hiking the final mile or so to the trailhead and civilization.
Jason at the end of the hike.
The first group out loading up for departure.